10 FUN FACTS about the Oktoberfest

The beer will be flowing in Munich again this year from 21 September to 6 October at the 186th Oktoberfest! As a true Munich native, I never tire of telling stories about the world’s largest festival fair. Here are 10 fun facts about the “Wiesn”, as locals call their favourite fest.

Did you know that…

1. …the bronze Bavaria statue on the edge of the Oktoberfest, with a height of 18 m, a weight of 87 tons and a cup size of ZZZZ, dwarfs all Munich women?

2. …7.9 million litres of beer were drunk at the Oktoberfest last year? That equals around 52,667 household bathtubs.

3. …every year about 3,000 items are dropped off at the Oktoberfest lost-and-found? There’s plenty of odd stuff, too. A set of dentures is there almost every time.

4. …the Oktoberfest has its own post office? Here visitors can send greetings and souvenirs all over the world directly from the festival grounds.

5. …the most played song at the Oktoberfest, “Ein Prosit der Gemütlichkeit”, didn’t originate in Bavaria but was penned in the eastern German city of Chemnitz?

6. …a Maß of beer has been equal to a litre only since the introduction of the metric system? Previously, a Bavarian Maß was exactly 1,069 millilitres.

7. …the traditional stoneware steins were replaced by glass mugs in 1955 to better control the amount of beer poured?

8. …someone who needs medical help takes a “Wiesn Taxi”? The name comes from the yellow tarp that is placed over the patient by paramedics to prevent onlookers from staring.

by Tommy Loesch

9. …a historical Oktoberfest, the “Oide Wiesn”, has been held besides the Oktoberfest since 2010? This special side event debuted on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the Oktoberfest and has since become a mainstay for the people of Munich. Here, as in the past, you can celebrate in a traditional atmosphere and with historical rides. The nostalgic event gives way to the Agricultural Festival every four years – though this year isn’t one of them.

10. …the oldest festival attraction, the variety show “Auf geht’s beim Schichtl”, has been an integral part of the Oktoberfest since 1869? In addition to all sorts of curiosities, the main attraction is still the fake beheading by guillotine.